The Coffee Shop
by Razer Athane
Summary: Every morning, she saw him sitting there, in the same chair, with the same order, with the same look on his face. Watching her. -Xiaorang, Oneshot-


Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Tekken.

Author's Note: This is AU btw. Roughly. So blehargles to you! Just another pointless, pointless oneshot. I did this during class, so excuse its choppiness. There was nothing else for me to do. All the other poor people had a test, and I didn't. lol! Anyway this idea had been lingering in the front of my mind for a while, so I _finally_ decided to write it down. Enjoy!

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**_THE COFFEE SHOP_**

Every morning, she saw him.

Every morning, she saw him sitting there, in the same chair, with the same order, with the same look on his face.

Watching her.

Xiaoyu first thought that perhaps he recognised her from somewhere... But she herself had never seen him before. She couldn't recall his face, so they must not have ever met. So how could _he_ have possibly _known_ her? Honestly. _How?_

She dismissed the early thoughts as she sat in Café Macron, alone, sipping on her hot coffee to wake her up for her very first day of work. She didn't want to fall asleep on the job and create a bad impression now, did she? It may have been a shoe shop, but still, it was a start.

So the first day went by, and he just sat there, watching her through light brown eyes, a slight smirk on his face, softly kicking his shoulder strap bag that was lying idly on the floor. He was leaning forward, elbows rested on the dark brown table, leaning his chin on both of his hands. Occasionally, one left to bring the coffee mug to his lips, before setting it back down. And when she got up to leave, his eyes followed her out of the coffee shop.

He drifted from Ling's thoughts when she started work, and thought that perhaps it was simply a one off experience. Maybe her pigtails were lopsided. Maybe she spilt coffee on her shirt and she didn't notice, and he found it amusing. But that stare... It was somewhat unsettling. It was as if he were gazing into her soul, even.

Or... Or perhaps at a crumb that may or may not have existed on the side of her mouth... from the cookie she spontaneously ate at the Café...? Maybe? Yes? No? Yes?

On her second day, the Chinese youth saw him again, sitting opposite her, in the same seat, with the same order, the same slight smirk, the same gaze... The only thing different this time was that he had a black jumper on, and a red scarf. Well come on, it _was _cold, and it _was _winter...

She caught his stare a couple of times, and blushed a little, subconsciously tugging at her pigtails. It seemed this act had amused him. From the corner of her dark brown eyes, she saw the smirk twitch ever so slightly, expanding just that little bit, and his eyes narrow.

Like the day before, Ling stood, tucking the chair back under the table with her foot, leaving the cup and small plate for a waiter to come and collect, and turned to leave. Her skin prickled under her work clothes, and she _knew _he was still staring at her, until she was out of sight.

Slowly, the week went by. She thought that perhaps he would've left the coffee shop and gone back to wherever-the-hell he came from. But no. He was still there. The only thing that had changed, as opposed to last Monday, was his posture. Rather than leaning forward, he was leaning back, one leg propped up on a neighbouring chair, his right arm casually resting on the table top.

Just like the days before, she felt so exposed, so unsettled under his damn stare. Xiaoyu fidgetted occassionally, uncomfortable. She fiddled with the collar of her shirt, crossed and uncrossed her legs, swapped the cup around in her hands, tightened her pigtails, flipped through the magazine on the table, checked her make up, observed her new manicure, roll her ankle...

...And _maybe _take a peek at Mr. Unwavering Gaze and see if he had changed what he was looking at.

Nope. Still looking at Little Miss Shoe Saleswoman.

The third week eventually came, and Mr. Unwavering Gaze still sat there. His posture was back to what it was the first week. To the eighteen-year-old's delight though, it seemed that he _could _break his crazy-hypnotic-obsessive-what-the-hell-ever stare. The revelation came when his phone rang, a chorus of an unfamiliar rock song bursting through. His gaze shot to his left. Xiao could hear him talking.

"What?"

She smirked a little at his attitude, looking down into the coffee in her cup.

"Yeah, I'm at Café Macron."

No, where else would he be? What was this, his second home?

"And?"

The youth took this opportunity to _look_ at him for once, as opposed to look away. The first thing she noticed was his hair. It was red, but if she squinted, she could see brown roots. The next thing that attracted her attention were the goggles he kept perched upon his head, pushing the flaming hair back. Oh, and his eyes, they were a nice light brown. A great contrast to her own.

Wait. What? How could she even see them clearly, unless he was now looking right at -

Ling jumped out of her seat, knocking her chair back, having it crash onto someone behind her. The impact had the person jerk forward, spilling their own coffee everywhere. She cursed under her breath and ran out of the store, dishing out a sweet 'I'm sorry!' in hopes of mending the person's rising anger.

She could hear his light-hearted, silent laugh ring through her head, even as she turned the corner, her cheeks the colour of his hair. She silently thanked God that today was Friday, and that she wouldn't have to sit there for another two days... That she wouldn't have to sit under his piercing stare for _two whole _days.

At the beginning of the fourth week, she found a surprise at the table where she normally sat. She saw _her coffee _there, the way _she liked it. _After looking at it for a brief moment, Xiaoyu jogged towards the waiter who had placed it down, tapping his shoulder, "Excuse me sir, but who bought me that coffee...?"

"The gentleman over there," He replied monotonously, absently gesturing towards Mr Unwavering-Unless-His-Phone-Rings Gaze, going back towards the counter.

The eighteen-year-old furrowed her eyebrows, walking back towards her table, and took a quick glance at him, seeing that he was still staring at her, ever since she walked in. This week, he was in his 'leaning back' position. It seemed he swapped positions every week or something...

Sitting down, she stared at the coffee cup before her, seeing her own reflection in the liquid. She took the white mug by handle, still looking at it thoughtfully. Did he poison the drink? Did he put drugs in it? The coffee was tainted somehow, right?

Biting the bullet, the Chinese girl raised it to her lips and closed her eyes, taking a gentle sip. It was warm, and refreshing. Very refreshing indeed. It warmed her inside, the vicious bite of the winter around her subsiding. It was so warming that she slipped off her white gloves, and her black and white jacket, which had a panda embroided on the front. A present from her Mother.

A pleasant sigh escaped her pink lips as she set the mug back down, opening her eyes again, looking back down at the cup with a slight smile. Her fingernails tapped the cup.

Her eyes detected something under the plate. Her eyebrows furrowed once again. It was a napkin. Maybe the drugs were in there, and the waiter (thankfully) forgot to slip them in the coffee before she walked in. The little sneak!

She wanted to make sure though. Ling carefully tugged out the napkin from under the plate, to find it was completely smooth. No bumps or anything. The only thing that was different from this napkin as opposed to the other standard Café Macron napkins was that this one had a smiley face on it, with the tongue poking out, drawn on with blue pen.

The youth's head shot up. She looked at Mr Unwavering-Unless-His-Phone-Rings Gaze, to find him smirking (affectionately, maybe?) at her, thereafter immitating his little sketch. She giggled, her cheeks heating up again, and resumed drinking her coffee.

He saw her slip the napkin into her pocket as she left for work.

The Tuesday saw a very similar routine. Her coffee already there, paid for, along with a cookie this time (he must've remembered the first time she came there, when she started work), and a little curtesy smiley face scribbled on a napkin from Mr Unwavering-Unless-His-Phone-Rings Gaze. Today it was a shining grin. He had even drawn lines around the smiley face to make it look like a sun. It made her smile. It was as if these gestures were only designed to make her smile.

She kept that one too.

By Friday, she had four, and was eagerly awaiting the fifth one. Xiaoyu even brought Miharu along, so she could see this person. Miharu had said over the phone to bring her along so she could 'analyse him' (why, exactly? Ling never got an answer).

"Ooh he _is _cute!" Hirano blurted in a hyperactive whisper, her grin very large indeed.

The Chinese girl waved her hand dismissingly, taking a sip of her already-provided coffee, watching him stare at her, still. Her best friend didn't prove to be a distraction to him. Was Miharu even there in his eyes? She wondered, even as rock music again attacked the near-silent environment, even as he answered it, breaking his stare.

Little Miss Shoe Saleswoman had the job for a whole month now, and she was going on her fifth week. However unlike every other week, where she looked forward to work, where she was a little bundle of happiness, she was clearly upset and annoyed.

He had frowned when he saw her weakly push the door open, and sit at her table, looking at her coffee, taking the first sip of it, still shivering from the cold. She didn't even react when she saw his happy grin smiley face on the napkin... And she didn't look up at him.

He grabbed another nearby napkin and scribbled on it quickly, scrunching it up thereafter, throwing it across the five empty tables between them. He didn't like seeing her upset, and here, curiosity got the best of him. It smacked her in the head, and he couldn't help but chuckle quietly to himself. His frown returned when she looked up at him through quivering eyes.

Xiaoyu unravelled the scrunched up napkin and read the blue words:

_'What's up?'_

She grabbed a pen from her little bag, and without thinking, wrote her problem down hurriedly, her eyes watering over again (but with frustration, not saddness), before scrunching it up and throwing it right back at him. She grabbed her coffee again and resumed sipping it, all the hurt still coiling within her, awaiting release.

What the hell was she doing...? She didn't even _know_ Mr Unwavering-Unless-His-Phone-Rings Gaze...

He grabbed the napkin from across the table. It reminded him of school again, or in the earlier days at college when he had a couple of friends in his course (before they dropped out, that is). He hurriedly read her black writing:

_'It feels as if I don't have a friend in the world... My two bestest best friends (or rather, 'Jin The Quiet One' and 'Miharu The Loud One') ditched me to go on a vacation. For two weeks. Two. Whole. Fucking. Weeks... without anyone there to listen to me bitch and whine about about some random bastard who caused me a hard time work. One of my fellow workers, who kinda knows them, only just told me that _that _was why they haven't been answering my calls. Me, Jin and Mi... we were supposed to go to the movies on Tuesday... tomorrow. We were supposed to see that new movie about those psychos who drive around the place shooting people. Lots of blood and gore, you know? Some scary shit. Heh... Well, I guess they really didn't care, considering they didn't tell me... They probably just left so they could spend some time together and _alone_. Like they say, opposites attract. They're probably off having a root right now. Ugh.'_

He smiled a little, throwing a return napkin, resuming his 'leaning forward' position:

_'You know, I know someone who'd like to be your friend. He's sitting nearby and wouldn't mind listening to you bitch and whine about some random bastard who caused you a hard time work. Hell he might go and beat 'em up for you if you ask nicely. You worked in a shoe shop, right? Yeah, he's seen you a couple of times on the way to college in the mornings. And he was gonna go and see that same movie you're talking about on Tuesday, by himself. Around 7pm I think it was. They always say you get to know someone better at movies. Anyway, he doesn't like seeing you all miserable and shit. So... how about you look at the fucking napkin, and smile for him like the picture he drew for you, yeah? He likes seeing you smile.'_

Ling looked up for a moment, seeing him stand, grabbing his black bag, slinging it over one shoulder, heading for the exit of the coffee shop. One hand was in his pocket, and the other was holding onto the strap of his bag. The eighteen-year-old managed to catch his gaze, and stared back, the frustration in her face slowly diminishing until a smile finally appeared.

He did see it as he turned the corner, for once, before her.

The Tuesday finally appeared. Xiaoyu walked happily and confidently into Café Macron. Mr Unwavering-Unless-His-Phone-Rings Gaze was sitting there, taking a sip of his own coffee, eyeing the coffee and cookie he had bought for this morning. Smiling to herself, her dainty hands collected the cup, plate, cookie and normal napkin greeting.

She felt his gaze still on him, and immediately knew that he was wondering what she was doing. She didn't _normally _pick up everything on the table... What was she going to do, move away from him? Take it out of the coffee shop? Decided that she had enough of him, and throw it all on him? After her dampened spirit yesterday, anything could be possible to him.

To his surprise, the Chinese youth walked over to his little spot in the far corner, and pulled up one of the dark brown chairs closest to him with her feet, like she always did. She placed everything down next to his stuff, and sat in the chair next to him silently, now taking her first sip of her coffee.

He watched her through light brown eyes for a moment longer, before taking another sip of his coffee. He heard a small 'clink', realising that Ling had put her coffee down. He stopped sipping, the mug still at his lips, and watched her tug out the napkin from under the plate. He grinned a little with satisfaction as she smiled at today's winking smiley face.

As she put this one, like all the others, in her pocket, she spoke, "Hi."

"Hey."

"What's your name?" She asked, turning to face him wholly, her hands pressed together.

He set the mug down, looking at his fingers that were curled around the handle, "Hwoarang."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ling. Ling Xiaoyu. But you can call me Xiao."

A smirk as he looked at her from the corner of his eyes, "Alright, Xiao."

She continued speaking as he looked back at his moving fingers, "Your name... It's a different name... I like it. Ha, do you know what I used to call you when you just watched me from back here? Or refer to you by when I spoke to Miharu or someone else? I used to call you 'Mr Unwavering-Unless-His-Phone-Rings Gaze'..."

The girl smiled when she saw him grin, "'Mr Unwavering-Unless-His-Phone-Rings Gaze'?"

"Yeah! Seriously, you never _not _looked at me unless your phone rang. What song is that, by the way? You know, the one that plays every time your phone rings? It sounds kinda cool."

"The song is called 'Hit That'. It's by The Offspring. Doubt you've ever heard of it, Smiley."

"_Smiley?_"

Hwoarang laughed a little, turning his head to look at her, seeing how her eyebrows had furrowed in slight agitation. He leant back in his chair, "That's what I used to call you. At least, until you told me your name, Xiao."

"Oh!"

There was more silence as she fiddled with the end of her hair. After a while, she turned and took another sip off her coffee, before grabbing her cookie. She was about to take a bite when she thought better of it, and split it in her hand, offering half to him, "Thanks."

"What for?"

Xiaoyu shrugged. To be honest, she didn't know what for either. She knew it wasn't for the amount of times her skin had crawled when he looked at her, for the countless coffees he had bought her, for the occasional cookie he had bought for her, for the smiles he forged for her just by a simple smiley face on a napkin, for listening to her problem...

...Maybe it was for all of it.

Hwoarang took it and started to munch on it, shrugging as well, his gaze now on her slim fingers. After a while, he looked up at the Chinese youth's face. It appeared to be in deep thought, as she looked right back at him. He spoke, "What?"

"You said you went to college. What do you study?"

He smirked, "There's time to get to know each other better at the 'pyschos who drive around the place shooting people' movie tonight. Anyway don't you have a _job _to go to?"

Xiaoyu froze for a moment and ever so slowly looked at her plain watch. It bared five past nine, five minutes _after _she was supposed to be at work, all ready and behind the counter.

"_Shit!_"

As she stormed out, a slur of 'meet me here at 6:30pm for the movie' spluttering from her smiling mouth, the eighteen-year-old could once again hear his light-hearted, silent laugh ring through her head, as she turned the corner, running down the mall's long corridors, away from the coffee shop.


End file.
